Ex-FBI chief James Comey faces federal charges for third time

What the report says

Federal prosecutors have taken steps to bring new charges against former FBI Director James Comey, according to a court filing reported by BBC World News. The filing alleges he leaked national defence information, though it offers few specifics. Comey’s lawyers said the case centers on an alleged disclosure of classified material to The New York Times in October 2016, when he led the FBI.

The new case is the third time the Justice Department has moved to prosecute Comey, a longtime critic of President Donald Trump. Comey rejected the allegations in a video posted online, calling them an abuse of the department. His lawyer, Patrick Fitzgerald, said previous investigations during Trump’s first term had decided not to bring charges, and Comey’s team has now asked the court to dismiss the case.

BBC World News reported that Comey is being charged in Washington, DC, through a criminal information rather than a grand jury indictment. A former federal prosecutor told the BBC the case may face a statute-of-limitations challenge, though that is a legal assessment rather than a court ruling.

The latest filing comes against the backdrop of years of conflict between Trump and Comey, who was fired during Trump’s first term after opening an inquiry into Russian election interference. Separately, the BBC also noted that a federal judge ruled the Justice Department had illegally fired Comey’s daughter, Maurene Comey, on the same day the new charges became public.